Solo to Mexico City, Day One

Originally published on onlyonewaytofindout.travel

My first real non-work-related solo trip to a different country. Originally the trip had been booked on a whim as a result of some pretty good airfares (as per usual) by both Benjamin and I. Unfortunately due to some unforeseen circumstances Benjamin had to back out of the trip. Luckily we typically book trips through our Chase Sapphire Reserve which includes trip insurance.

After debating canceling for a bit I decided to continue on with the plan and see what happens. I figured it would be a good experience and a short get away from New York City is always a plus. There’s only one way to find out, right? The only sticking point for me was my severe lack of Spanish skills, but how hard could it be?

My early morning flight had been booked on Interjet out of JFK. I had a scheduled departure for 07:10 which turns into a 04:00 wake up call for me. After drowsily calling an Uber and an uneventful 25 minute ride to JFK I was able to check-in and pass through security quickly. Left with more than two hours to kill I headed up to the Alaska Airlines lounge which offers access to Priority Pass members. They had just opened at 05:00 so I had the pick of any seat – front row view of tarmac thank you very much!

Interjet boarded back to front starting from Zone 4 finishing with Zone 1 which I found kind of odd. Regardless it’s always nice when airlines have an efficient boarding process down, and this wasn’t an exception. After everyone got settled we were informed that there was a fueling issue. We ended up only being delayed about 25-30 minutes.

The flight itself was very uneventful, I have no complaints about Interjet. I was seated in an exit row with a reclining seat on an A320, and the seats were plenty comfortable. The flight crew was very professional and spoke very good English. There was no WiFi or any in-flight entertainment but that suited me just fine. I promptly nodded off and woke up in Mexico.

We deplaned and were herded through customs. My passport was scanned, along with all ten finger prints and a photo was taken. It was clear sailing all the way through from there.

First stop, as always, the bathroom. Second stop, as always, the ATM. I very carefully withdrew 2,000 Pesos and stashed my US currency away – I won’t be needing that.

After calling my Uber I stepped outside into the sunshine and warmth; a huge difference from the bone chilling sub-zero temperatures we were suffering from in New York. My Uber arrived quickly and I jumped in. He didn’t end up speaking any English so this was officially my first time of really having to work through the language barrier. I was pretty surprised to see the driving style was quite tame. Dare I say more relaxed than New York City drivers.

I met my host, Ricardo, at the apartment and he showed me around. The place is great, and for the price I paid I can’t complain one bit. There are three balconies and I’m up on the 7th floor. While the view isn’t spectacular, it’s far better than mine at home.

I sat down to gather my thoughts and take in the surrounding city noises. Then I headed out to explore. I followed my nose around the block and found a street food vendor with numerous people lined up eating tacos, chatting and just generally enjoying themselves. I delicately tried to scope out the situation but came to the conclusion that I should ask one of the men in business attire if he spoke English.

A lot of hand gestures and a long story short – he didn’t, but I was able to convey what I was looking for and he pointed me in the right direction. I think I ended up paying about 25 Pesos for two tacos, or about $1.50 USD. Two tacos of that quality would be at least 5 bucks back home.

With my hunger relatively satiated I headed off in the direction of the nearby park and historical district. I had the goal of obtaining a refillable metro card. I ended up stopping in at four different stations, each resulting in progressively learning more Spanish. At the fourth station I had had enough and just bought four paper tickets.

After wandering for a few hours I made my way back to home base. Eventually I headed back out and stopped in at an uninspiring but enjoyable Argentinian restaurant. The food and company was good but it wasn’t the authentic Mexico experience I was looking for. That was alright though as I was still working off the taco ordering high from lunch.

Day One. Complete.